1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector assembly with a contact protection function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector assembly has a female connector and a male connector mated with each other for connection. The female connector has a female connector housing in which a male connection terminal is accommodated and fixed. The male terminal is disposed to protrude at its front part into a hood of the female connector housing.
The male connector has a male connector housing in which a female connection terminal is accommodated and fixed. The female terminal has a tubular front end into which the front part of the male terminal is to be inserted. At the front end of the female terminal, a contact spring is formed, being folded back obliquely into the tubular space.
In the connector of this structure, when the female connector is mated with the male connector, the front part of the male connection terminal is inserted into the female connection terminal from its front end to contact the spring, thereby to establish conduction.
However in the above connector assembly, when the female connector is mated with the male connector in a conducting state, the front part of the male terminal first comes into contact with the front end of the female terminal, which causes to generate an arc discharge at the contacts to deteriorate or damage the contacts. Further, when the connectors are disengaged, the front end of the male terminal is last disengaged from the front end of the male terminal, which also causes to generate an arc discharge at the corresponding parts to deteriorate or damage the contacts.
The deterioration of or damage to the contacts prevents the contacts of the female and male terminals from establishing good conduction, which causes to deteriorate the connector in reliability.
The present invention has been achieved with such points in view.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly provided with connection terminals, the connector assembly having a contact protection function, in which the deterioration of or damage to front parts of the terminals to be connected to each other can be prevented to protect the front parts of the terminals.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector assembly including first and second housings to be mated with each other, first and second terminals held in the first and second housings, respectively, the terminals being configured to be brought into contact with each other to establish a conduction as the housings are mated, and first and second discharge members provided in the first and second housings, respectively. The discharge members are brought into contact with each other before the terminals contact with each other as the housings are mated, and the discharge members are disengaged from each other after the terminals are disengaged as the housings are disengaged.
Thus in this invention, an arc discharge is prevented from adversely affecting the contacts even if an arc discharge is generated between the discharge members. Also when the terminals are disengaged from each other, the discharge members are disengaged after the disengagement of the terminals. This eliminates the generation of an arc discharge at the terminals, preventing an arc discharge from adversely affecting the contacts of the terminals. As a result, the terminals are free from deterioration or damage under an arc discharge, which improves the reliability of the connector.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the first and second discharge members are brought in contact with side surfaces of the first and second terminals under pressure, respectively.
Thus in this invention, the discharge members are conducted to the terminals. This has an effect of generating an arc discharge between the discharge members which come into contact with each other before the terminals do and preventing the generation of an arc discharge between the terminals when the housings are mated to make the terminals contact with each other.
According to a third aspect of the invention, respective one of the discharge members has curved parts, the curved parts being brought in contact with the side surfaces of the terminals.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the first and second discharge members are each detachably held in the first and second housings, respectively.
Thus in this invention, the discharge members can be replaced easily.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, respective one of the first terminal and the first discharge member has respective one of contact protrusions, the contact protrusions extending in the first housing at substantially the identical length, and the front end of the second discharge member is displaced from the front end of the second terminal in the mating direction.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, respective one of the first terminal and the first discharge member has respective one of contact protrusions, a contact protrusion of the first discharge member is protruded farther than a protrusion of the first terminal, and the front ends of the second discharge member and the second terminal are set at substantially the identical position in the mating direction.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, one of the first and the second discharge members is connected to a wire for discharge.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, the wire passes through a housing for holding the one of the first and the second discharge members.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, one of the first and second housings includes a guide for disconnection of a discharge member from a terminal in the other one of the first and second housings.
Thus in this invention, with mate of the pair of housing, after the terminals are contacted with each other, the guide in the one housing makes the discharge member disconnected from the terminal for break. As a result, this eliminates unnecessary contact from the terminal in the other connector housing, and the connector assembly is improved in reliability.
According to a tenth aspect of the invention, a first connector having a first housing, a second connector having a second housing to be mated with the first housing, a first terminal held in the first housing, the first terminal having a first contact, a second terminal held in the second housing, the second terminal having a second contact to be brought into contact with the first contact, a first discharge member held in the first housing and being brought in contact with the first terminal under pressure, the first discharge member having a third contact which is displaced. at a first displacement S1 from the first contact, and a second discharge member held in the second housing and being brought in contact with the second terminal under pressure, the second discharge member having a fourth contact to be brought into contact with the third contact, the fourth contact being displaced at a second displacement S2 from the second contact, wherein, a relationship between the first displacement S1 and the second displacement S2 is that S1+S2 greater than 0.